Bleach: Friends This Kind
by YenGirl
Summary: With so many centuries of being best friends, what others might think was definitely something to enjoy.


**Author Notes:** Hello again, everyone, and Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there! I couldn't come up with a Mother's Day story, but since I haven't written for Bleach for some time, here's another one shot about two of my favourite Shinigami Captains. Enjoy :)

**Warnings:** Fluff and possible OOC-ness.

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer: **Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.

\- Story Start -

Tomorrow was the last day of the month, when the Gotei 13 squads' monthly reports were due.

Juushiro Ukitake sat in his office after dinner, writing up the last few pages of his report. He would inform his co-Third Seat Officers Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarou Kotsubaki to deliver it to Squad One first thing tomorrow morning.

The brush of a very familiar reiatsu made him pause and look up, a smile tugging at his lips. Then a knock sounded on his door and Shuunsui Kyoraku entered.

"I come bearing gifts!" He announced with a wide smile, holding out a box from Juushiro's favourite dango eatery. "Or gift, anyway."

Juushiro tipped his head to the side and adopted a thoughtful expression.

"Would Nanao-chan be looking for you, by any chance?"f

Shuunsui's smile turned guilty, but his eyes twinkled.

"Which is why I thought I would indulge in tonight's full moon with my dearest friend."

Chuckling, Juushiro put down his pen and stood up.

"I'll get someone to bring a pot of tea to the gazebo," he offered.

\- o -

Juushiro looked around his Ugendo garden which looked beautiful in the moonlight. The air was cool and sweet, filled with the incessant sounds of insects and the occasional splash from the koi pond. He was with his oldest and dearest friend, and there was a fresh pot of tea and a box of _ohagi_, or sweet rice balls to enjoy.

What could be better?

He opened the box to find a dozen ohagi, all coated with crushed peanuts instead of the usual red bean paste.

"These were their special today," Shuunsui explained. "I have to say they smell better than the type you usually eat."

They did indeed. The peanuts had been toasted before being blended with honey and they smelled and tasted delicious. Unfortunately, they also aggravated Juushiro's sensitive throat and he had to stop after consuming half a dozen of them.

\- o -

The next morning, Juushiro awoke to a scratchy, itchy throat after spending a restless night. It didn't bode well for his day. He had a quick breakfast and downed his medicine before heading for his office, intent on finishing up his report before the medicine made him too drowsy.

The good news was, it didn't.

The bad news was, it didn't work either.

Juushiro found himself writing the report summary with his handkerchief pressed to his mouth, coughing into it every few seconds. Even the pot of scalding hot green tea he made failed to alleviate the itchiness. He had just signed his report when his throat seized up and that was it - he started coughing nonstop and was soon wheezing, trying to catch his breath.

The painful hacking sounds soon brought his two Co-Third Seats barging into his office with the door almost blasted off its hinges.

"Captain Ukitake, are you alright?!" Kiyone cried out, eyes widening at the sight of her beloved captain hunched over his desk.

"Captain Ukitake, you're _not_ alright!" Sentarou yelled, eyes widening at the sight of the bloodstained handkerchief pressed to his beloved captain's mouth.

Juushiro was unable to answer, tears streaming from his eyes and stomach muscles clenched in pain. He felt himself being lifted, still clutching his report, pen and handkerchief, and rushed out of his office.

The next few minutes passed in somewhat of a blur as his two panicked officers carried him over their heads through the streets of Seireitei, screaming at the top of their lungs about how their Captain was a hairsbreadth away from death.

It was one of the very few times they worked together without arguing.

It was also one of Juushiro's most embarrassing nightmares come true.

\- o -

_Three hours later..._

Brown eyes blinked open and looked around, eyebrows drawing into a frown at the unfamiliar surroundings. Juushiro sat up, feeling much better now that he had caught up on his sleep. His throat still felt numb from the _kidou_ spell used to keep the itchiness at bay.

Sentarou and Kiyone had rushed him to the Squad Four barracks, where they were met by the unflappable Captain Unohana. She listened to their incoherent explanations with her usual serene smile which slipped sideways when she saw Exhibit A, the bloodstained handkerchief Kiyone was waving about under her nose, crimson droplets flying everywhere.

Juushiro found himself committ- eh, admitted to a single room in the hospital in record time.

Just for coughing up a spot of blood.

Alright, so it was more than a spot, but really, nowhere as life threatening as his two overzealous and overexcited co-Third Seats made it out to be. There _were_ still two of three clean spots on that handkerchief.

Looking down, Juushiro saw he was clad in a hospital gown and sighed. He got out of bed and walked over to the open window. At least he had already told Sentarou and Kiyone - amid much coughing - to deliver his report. He hoped Shuunsui wouldn't hear of this or he was sure to blame himself for buying those peanut coated desserts.

"Oi!"

Juushiro blinked and looked around. Had his thoughts actually conjured up his oldest and dearest friend's voice?

"Down here, Juushiro."

Looking out the window, he saw a familiar figure in a pink flowered kimono waving up at him.

"Shuunsui?" His voice sounded scratchy and he coughed a bit.

"I heard what happened. So did the whole of Seireitei, in fact. My apologies for aggravating your cough last night."

"It's fine," Juushiro assured him, inwardly wincing at the spectacle he, Kiyone and Sentarou must have made. "I should be out of here by tomorrow morning."

"Not soon enough, so I'm coming up," Shuunsui replied.

Juushiro shook his head.

"There's no need for you to," he began.

"No, I insist. It was my fault you landed here in the first place."

A couple of Squad Four officers hurrying by with stacks of folded linen looked at them curiously, no doubt wondering why was the Thirteenth Squad Captain leaning out of a second floor window and whisper-shouting to the Eighth Squad Captain standing below him.

Oh dear.

That... didn't sound too much like that Romeo and Juliet tale he had once read while stationed in the Living World, did it?

The sound of familiar voices outside his door caught his attention and he turned around.

"Hah! I knew you'd be here soon enough, Kiyone!"

"What's that supposed to mean, Sentarou?"

"You couldn't wait to lay eyes on Captain Ukitake again, could you?"

"That's not true! I just wanted to - wait a minute, you were already here before me!"

"I'm just making sure no one disturbs his rest, that's all!"

"Well, I'm not going to do that!"

"Then what are the flowers for?"

"They're... just to brighten up his room, that's all!"

"Hah!"

"Don't you 'hah' me - what're those apples for then?"

"They're... just to cheer him up, that's all!"

"Hah!"

"Don't _you_ 'hah' me!"

A shadow fell over Juushiro and he turned to see Shuunsui perched on the window sill, smiling at him.

"You shouldn't be here," Juushiro whispered. "Kiyone and Sentarou are right outside my door and you know how, uh... "

"How highly excitable they are?" Shuunsui scratched his chin, his other hand on the window frame for balance. "So, quick escape then?"

"But there's only one door in this room."

"So?" Shuunsui just grinned at him, eyes gleaming.

Juushiro's eyes widened in dismay.

"I hope you're not thinking what I think you are." He took a quick step back only to have a strong arm snake around his waist and yank him close, forcing him to grab Shuunsui's shoulders for balance.

"Hey!"

"I am thinking exactly that," Shuunsui assured him.

"But I'm not dressed," Juushiro protested.

"Nanao-chan will collect your uniform later."

"But-"

"Hold onto me."

"I am!"

"Here we go then."

Shuunsui let go of the window frame and fell backwards, bringing Juushiro with him. Not a moment too soon - the door burst open and Sentarou and Kiyone burst in, still bickering about flowers and apples.

"Just in time," Shuunsui said cheerfully as he landed on his feet with Juushiro in his arms, long white hair splayed over his pink kimono. They looked up to see Kiyone and Sentarou's heads sticking out the window, looking down at them.

"Captain Ukitake, you're not well enough to leave the hospital!" Kiyone cried, sounding delighted at what she was seeing.

"Captain Kyoraku, why're you carrying Captain Ukitake bridal style?!" Sentarou shouted, sounding horrified at what _he_ was seeing.

"_Maa maa_, it's fine," Shuunsui called up to them. "Just let Captain Unohana know, would you?"

The sound of a discreet throat clearing had him spinning around to see Captain Unohana standing there, arms folded across her chest and one eyebrow well raised.

"Know what, Captain Kyoraku? That you're kidnapping my patient in full view of everyone while he is still in his hospital gown?"

Juushiro got down at once, his hospital gown riding dangerously high as he did so. Cheeks flushed pink, he glared at Shuunsui who just grinned at him, one eye closing in a swift wink.

That was it, Juushiro decided - no more of those peanut coated ohagi. Much too risky when paired with Shuunsui's irrepressible sense of humour!

\- Story End -

**A/N:** Thank you for reading and please review :)


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